I. Executive Summary/Main Narrative

All people in the AV deserve to live in safety. This includes freedom from police violence, as well as conditions that create well-being and opportunities to thrive. For people of color, especially Black and Latinx youth, safety is often undermined by LA Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and high school district practices that push youth of color out of schools and into the criminal legal system (such as disproportionate suspensions, expulsions, and arrests). More broadly, for Black and Latinx AV residents, a sense safety is undermined by inequities in other sectors, such as housing and economic insecurity.

A. Summary of research findings

Below is a summary of our preliminary research findings. All of the data can be explored more in-depth throughout the page:

Education data shows that students of color are being funneled out of the classroom through expulsions and suspensions. Black students experience the highest rate of suspensions relative to all other student groups. Students with disabilities are also being suspended out of AVUHSD schools at high rates. Conversely, these student groups also have lower graduation rates compared to White students. These disparities demonstrate the systemic biases that are harming students of color, and the urgent need for more investments in better school supports and counseling.

Police activity is analyzed using the LASD RIPA data set. RIPA data contains information that police officers are legally required to input for each police stop they make. Because RIPA data is only input by police officers, it is important to note that the data is only based on officer perceptions and therefore can contain errors and under reporting. The RIPA data cannot capture the experiences of those being stopped by officers.

Preliminary research findings show that Black and Latinx youth are disproportionately being stopped by police in Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD) schools. Black students in particular are being disproportionately impacted by police relative to their over-all enrollment in AVUHSD. Stops of students with disabilities are severely under-reported in the RIPA data.

The majority of people stopped in AVUHSD schools are stopped for reasons related to school fighting or possession of marijuana. Additional stop reasons include non-serious offenses such as jaywalking or violating education codes.

The results of people being stopped in AVUHSD schools further corroborates that police activity is not being used to prevent serious crime. Most stops in AVUHSD schools result in an in field cite and release, or some form of referral to a parent, guardian or school administrator.

The racial disparities in police stops extend beyond AVUHSD schools to the greater Antelope Valley region. Police disproportionately stop people they perceive as Black relative to the general Black population in the Antelope Valley. People perceived as Latinx by police make up nearly half of all the stops police make in the Antelope Valley.

II. Background / Context of AV

A. Describe how the AV is a diverse place.

We define the Antelope Valley (AV) geographic region as SPA 1. The AV has a large youth population over-all, at 27.5% of the total population. By comparison, 20.9% of LA county’s population is age 0-17. The AV is also racially diverse, with Latinx people making up more than half of the total population.

Antelope Valley Age Demographics

Age

Total

Count

Rate

17 and under

408,374

112,293

27.5

18-24

408,374

37,453

9.2

25-34

408,374

55,825

13.7

35-44

408,374

53,665

13.1

45-54

408,374

48,584

11.9

55-64

408,374

50,358

12.3

65 and older

408,374

50,196

12.3

Our education analysis for the AV focuses on the Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD). Enrollment data for AVUHSD is for the 2024-2025 academic year. In AVUHSD there are more Black and Latinx students than White students. Students with disabilities have a 17.8% enrollment rate in AVUHSD.

Comparatively, LA county student enrollment also has a high proportion of Latinx students at 65.2% compared to 67.2% in AVUHSD. However, the Black student enrollment rate for LA county is only 6.7%, compared to 16.6% in AVUHSD. Additionally, students with disabilities make up 14.8% of total student enrollment in LA county.